Sportsbook

[georgiaboy 0]

Anyone out there play in the sportsbook or bodog rooms? If so, give your thoughts.

[DiamondDixie 12]

Sportsbook is part of Merge, Bodog is leaving the US market after this year, software sucks but the games are okay. Merge is the biggest still letting existing US players play but at the moment if you don't have a Merge account (US players) you can't open one. Merge is good for cash and MTTs (no real low stakes MTTs though) but not much for sngs except for supers. I don't know about Sportsbook's rep as far as withdrawals go.

[KingJames 11]

Sportsbook is part of Merge, Bodog is leaving the US market after this year, software sucks but the games are okay. Merge is the biggest still letting existing US players play but at the moment if you don't have a Merge account (US players) you can't open one. Merge is good for cash and MTTs (no real low stakes MTTs though) but not much for sngs except for supers. I don't know about Sportsbook's rep as far as withdrawals go.

Bodog will still serve the US market, they are rebranding; new name and software, I believe. Perhaps they will offer a mac platform??in before marachant also, bink

[georgiaboy 0]

Sportsbook is part of Merge, Bodog is leaving the US market after this year, software sucks but the games are okay. Merge is the biggest still letting existing US players play but at the moment if you don't have a Merge account (US players) you can't open one. Merge is good for cash and MTTs (no real low stakes MTTs though) but not much for sngs except for supers. I don't know about Sportsbook's rep as far as withdrawals go.

Okay I'm kinda new...so forgive if I ask a novice question:1. I have a sportsbook account....does that mean I automatically have a Merge account?2. I keep hearing "Merge" what is it? Is there a website?

[DiamondDixie 12]

Merge is the network and Sportsbook is a "skin" on that network. The software and games are all shared by several different "skins", in most cases the banking/cashier is also shared, however cash outs and customer service are managed, in most cases, by the individual skin. When you play on Sportsbook you are playing against players from all the skins. I think there are 10 or 12 different skins. The biggest being Carbon, then Lock as they are the oldest. Sportsbook and Players Only are, I think, under the same management and they both used to be on the Cake Network but moved to Merge around a year ago. So yes if you already have a Sportsbook account you should be able to deposit and you will be playing on the Merge Network.

[georgiaboy 0]

Merge is the network and Sportsbook is a "skin" on that network. The software and games are all shared by several different "skins", in most cases the banking/cashier is also shared, however cash outs and customer service are managed, in most cases, by the individual skin. When you play on Sportsbook you are playing against players from all the skins. I think there are 10 or 12 different skins. The biggest being Carbon, then Lock as they are the oldest. Sportsbook and Players Only are, I think, under the same management and they both used to be on the Cake Network but moved to Merge around a year ago. So yes if you already have a Sportsbook account you should be able to deposit and you will be playing on the Merge Network.

So...is Poker Stars a skin or a proprietary site?

[DiamondDixie 12]

PokerStars, Full Tilt (were) and Bodog are independent sites. Cake, Merge, Everleaf (Minted is the only skin on that I can think of) and Yattahay(sp to lazy to look it up) (Doyle's Room and True Poker are the only Yattahay skins that I know of and Doyle is no longer affiliated and the Network got indicted a couple of months ago) are Networks. There are also numerous networks and other independent sites like Party Poker who don't allow US players. AP and UB were also Cereus network skins.